2025 Model Horse Swap Meet and Showing Clinic Recap

We had such a fun day!  On November 8, 2025, we held a Model Horse Buy/Sell/Swap Meet and Live Showing Clinic at the Baldwin Community Center in Western Maine.

I think every seller at the Swap Meet sold some things, and I think we all bought some things, too.  No one can figure out the math, but it seems everyone always goes home with more models than they brought!  That's a good thing, though, since they're models we want.  Here are some photos from the event:

We can always count on Heather having quite a variety to sell, plus a cauldron of candy!

Michelle joined us for the first time with some really cool customs, including flocked ones with riders.

Melissa brought some lovely rainbow customs, artist 3D prints, and other fun models.

Can you spot this guy on her table?  All I could think of was the line from Titanic: "Draw me like your French ladies."  

Yep, couldn't resist - "Hopalong Bo Duke" came home with me.  He'll get dressed and then become a driver for one of my hitches.

Of course, Roy and I were there with Breyer Christmas items and 75th anniversary models!

Meanwhile, Kayla Lovejoy hosted the Live Showing Clinic for folks who have never shown, or who have shown a couple of times and want to learn more about competing with their models.  Participants learned about foot tags, breed assignments, and how color, conformation, and condition play a part in judging.   They then participated in a short show and won ribbons for their efforts.  Kayla explained what she'd be looking for before each class, and then explained why each model she placed got 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, to help exhibitors learn to think like a judge.

New showers with their first show strings.  Welcome to the hobby!

Seth and Megan's first time making harnesses was, shall we say, successful!  Yes, we're hoping they'll make more so that we can sell their harnesses in the future!

We also raced Stablemates at lunch time!  Kayla painted some SMs with numbers, each "jockey" picked one, and then rolled the dice to proceed along the racetrack.  First to the finish line won a trophy from Kayla and a Stablemate from Triple Mountain!

Model showing is one of the rare competitive events where young and old, and everyone in between, are on equal footing.  Our youngest shower went home with at least one blue ribbon, and our youngest "jockey," shown here waiting for his turn at the dice, won one of the Stablemate races.  What I love most, though, is that everyone supports everyone else.  It may be competition, but we never forget that it's all for fun, and the best moments often come when we make someone else smile.

Thanks to everyone for coming - It was a blast!  If you're within driving distance, but didn't make it to this event, stay tuned for more events next year.  We advertise ours here and to those on our e-mail list (sign up at the bottom of the web page), but others also organize model horse events all over New England.  You can see all New England model events at RegionXNation.com/shows.